Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-25
RUWE'S BAKERY BURNED
SUSPICIOUS THAT THE FIRE
WAS INCENDIARY.


None of the Contents Saved--GeorEe
Meyers Beer Bottiing Estabiishms n {
Oansged-Mr. Ruwe's Loss Estimate q
at $40 ,o0O-His Insurance S14 400
Theories as to the Origin of the Fire.
Jonn II. Ruws's candy and cracker fac
tory, 70 Bay street, Was destroyed by nre
last nigh. The fire must have started by
s 80 O'Clock or earlier. At 500, when tue
alarm was turned in !s0m box No. :, the
flames had good Roadway, and when the
engines arrived the building was on fire
all over, froU the cellar to the roof. A
second alarm was quickly sounded, and
all four engines aud the Protection Hose
were soon at work.
THE BURNED BUILDING.
The factory was in a large three-story
brick building divided by brick walls.
6eorge Meyer occupied tue western store
as a beer bottling establishment. Mr..
Ruwe, the owner OF the building, occu-
pied all OF the eastern aud middle sec
lions with ME cracker and
candy factory. Apparently, the fire
started in he south end OF the factory,
which opens Oh Bay street lane. Smoke
was pouring out Of every window In dense
clouds few minutes after the gong
ne names swept IEOLu IuS
end toward the front.
Planned BY THE WIND.
There seemed TO be a strong draft, for
the roar of the fire WAS like the exhaust
of locomotive. An engine and other
machinery were located in the cellar. On
tue first floor was a general stock, com.
l'rising barrels of flour, cases OF crackers,
etc. Empty cracker boxes and manu-
featured goods were stored on the second
floor, and there was a miscellaneous as
sortment of stock and cases on the top
floor. Everything IN the factory, unless it
was the safe, was of the most inhamma-
BILE description.
TIE FIREAEN AT WORK.
The tireman fought the hames stub
bornly, but with little success, so far as
the factory was concerned, because it
burned almost as readily as so much cot
Ton. AS the fire progressed breeze
sprang up. Before $3.50 O'Clock the roof
had burned nearly of and showers OF
sparks rose high 10 the air and fell on the
crowd at the foot OF Lincoln street. The
whole neighbOrhood was Int up by the
blaze and the streets all around we're
throngsd. The walls were considered In
secure, and a wide space was roped of in
front
THE OLD MARINERS BETHEL.
Adjoining the factory on the east is the
Did Mariners Bethel, which was after
ward occupied by j. ". LatorOp & Co.,
and was burned out about three years ago.
West Of Meyers store is a small one
story building used as a warehouse.
The old Bethel was in some danger, but
the flames were kept back from it. AT
$3.50 half OF the eastern wall fell in with
a crash. 1t seemed then as il il would
be impossible to save Meyers store, the
roof OF which caught. BY 1880 the
blaze was pretty well under control.
AtmIdnignt nothing remained OF the
cracker factory except the walls. A few
boxes Ot crackers, two wagons and the
The, mad been taken out.
un9EYER's BoTTLING ESTABLISHMENT.
TIE blaze in toe bottiing establishment
was difficult to fight. because it burned
from the top down and the streams could
not be played upon il so wei. Mr.. Meyer
is In jacksonville, but a representative OF
his house estimated the value OF the stock
at $4,000, and the machinery and I'M
provements at s., 800 Pe.fs insured for
about $4,000 In companies represented by
Messre. Cohen and Wheaton & Son.
MIR. Ruwe placed bis loss on the build
Ing aud stock at $4,000. He is insured
tor $l4, 900 in agencies which are said to
be out OF the city, lie stated that one
policy for $4,000 expired few days ago.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
is the 7Rye tald that he thought the fire
0snd ,be nass the cellar from the engine
Iudga is tha me, Graham, a hotel drummer,
will hang half tpasslng the factory on
tries" s.Well. Use ies before the alarm
So" and the old man hoy Two W. men come
Probably terrible acc strong smell
Central road, near ANIME out of the
averted Friday night by the several sec
OF the crew OF freight train locked the
from below just after darl hy the arm
freight crossed the trestle ov
or. cree h.n TWO td miIes oelGw tns Cry.
train was at once brought uhe fuiaskl
soon as the bridge was crcsinen' among
party sent back to make an elton buyer,
1t was then found that tne noiel,
the bridge had careened undene pay, MT
OF the cars, carrying the r@urrIeu u0Nh
and that a narrow escape fo'cIoly before
tram had been made. TnfIu AS they
ceeded to the city, and a up anu put
Srain was Immediately teleu W go ih' MI
Albany 10 come up and ohe VI the en-
sary repairs, which were Volunteered 10
O'Clock Saturday morn lTeL ner ourh,Y
night passenger was de oIneIs cauie up
hours IN consequence o'e Aey WAS losI III
The Mayor and Coun FIRE
issued circular re0ara OF uorL an por
The conductors on thenrned in fron, p Pl,.
snd Western railwaFIorioa and Westsrn
school house, whici,gine No. and hose
insy piopose eon answered the alarm.
~ u s,'N u 10 DO a slight blaze in the
nee house occupied by George Hen
nlsOn (coloIed) on Liberty street, oppo-
pte the Savannah, Florida and Western
Sepot. The blaze was soon eXtinguished
with but little damage to the building.